An international manhunt has been launched for Christchurch migrant Samuel Ngumo Njuguna, 39, after his wife, Lydiah Muthoni Munene, 34, was found with serious head injuries in her Christchurch home on Monday night, alongside the body of 38-year-old freezing worker Steven Mwangi Maina, of Ashburton.
Njuguna caught a flight to Kenya on Sunday and police here are working with Interpol and Kenyan police to trace him.
Detective Inspector Greg Williams said Ms Munene would remain in an induced coma for several days.
She separated from Mr Njuguna about five weeks ago, and moved into the house in Burrows Place, Avonhead, with their 13-year-old and nine-year-old sons.
Mr Williams said Ms Munene and Mr Maina were in bed when they were attacked between midnight and 6am on Saturday. The children were also at home.
Mr Njuguna took the children and dropped them at a friend's house at 4pm on Saturday before leaving the country.
Mr Williams said Maina moved to New Zealand in October.
He lived in Ashburton and worked at the Canterbury Meat Packers (CMP) plant before transferring to the CMP plant in Rakaia in July.
CMP Ashburton unit manager Alan Rei told The Press Maina was a "nice guy" who got on with everyone.
"According to the guys, he was a top man."
Mr Njuguna's former employer, Paul Kelly, of Paul Kelly Motors, said he had worked as a mechanic for the firm for about two years and was an "exceptional employee".
He had started a new job at Aceomatic Transmission Services, where a workmate described him as a "very quiet, mild and meek guy".
Mr Williams said yesterday that police were focusing on "procedural matters" required to extradite Mr Njuguna.
New Zealand has no extradition treaty with Kenya but some media speculated that Commonwealth treaties might mean that the suspect could be returned if he was located.
Police have talked to officials at Kenya's High Commission in Canberra and at the Crown Law Office in Wellington about the options.
